Holy Spirit (1)

…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot

see the kingdom of God. …Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be

born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

 
                                                                                                                                           John 3: 3-5

                The verses above explain to us by Jesus Himself on how to enter the kingdom of God. Kingdom of God refers to Heaven, the place which all of us want to go one day. In order for us to see the kingdom of God, He says we need to be born again which means we need to repent and take baptism. However, in order for to enter into the kingdom of God, we need to be born of water (water baptism) and receive the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is a very important aspect in a Christian life. Every Christian needs the Holy Spirit in them. The Holy Spirit is the one who comforts, guides, teaches and directs us.

Let’s just say you want to travel to another country, what do you need? Firstly, you need an international passport. With that passport you are able to go to the other country and see that country but you still cannot enter into the country yet as there is immigration check. In order for you to enter that country you need visa and then you are allowed to enter and stay there. This is similar to the kingdom of God.

You need to be baptized (to be born again) in order to see the kingdom of God and this is your passport. In other words, baptism is your passport to see the kingdom of God. Next, for you to enter and stay there, you need the Holy Spirit (baptism of the Spirit). This is your visa to enter and stay there. You should never take the baptism of the Holy Spirit lightly. It is a very crucial aspect of our lives.

                The next question you will be wondering is, how do I get the Holy Spirit then? Firstly, you need to ask and believe! He has promised to give us His spirit when we ask. Next, we need to live a holy life. The Spirit that the Lord is going to give you is Holy and God himself is holy. Thus, it is important that you are holy, living a holy life. You need to remove bad habits, bad thinking and unwanted rubbish from your heart. Let go of every hatred, bitterness and anger. Give your heart to Jesus.

                Besides that, you need to have a good and close relationship with Him. Imagine you have a friend who seldom calls you and talks to you. One day he/she calls and demands that he/she needs something from you. I am sure you would not give much importance to it because this is not someone who bothers to keep in contact with you. However, if you have another friend who always calls you and keeps in touch with you, I am sure you try your very best to fulfill that person’s request.

Thus, if you need the Holy Spirit, you need to spend a lot of time with God. You need to keep in touch and have a close relationship with Him. You need to have daily communication with Him. We need to communicate with Him all the time through prayer, singing praises and reading the Bible or even quiet moments with Him. God has promised to pour His spirit upon us thus you need to be ready to receive the anointing.

I can guarantee you that you won’t regret having a close relationship with Him. I am very sure receiving the Holy Spirit is the best thing that can happen to you. This is because the Holy Spirit is the one who will comfort, guide, direct and teach you.

I hope from this short article you have learnt something about the importance of the Holy Spirit and how to receive it!

A Thank You Letter ...

Lord,

Thank you for the family you have given me,

Thank you for the wonderful friends you placed in my life,

Thank you for sending the right connections,

Thank you for helping me to be at the right place at the right time,

Thank you for this beautiful comfy home,

Thank you for forgiving me and accepting me just the way I am,

Thank you for giving me salvation and righteousness,

Thank you for the save journey each day,

Thank you for your protection each time I go to bed,

Thank you for giving me a job,

Thank you for molding me to be a great person,

Thank you for your favour everywhere I go,

Thank you for supplying all my needs,

Thank you for a perfect body,

Thank you for good health,

Thank you for the talents you have given me,

Thank you for the knowledge and wisdom,

Thank you for guiding me,

Thank you for blessing me greatly beyond I could imagine,

Thank you for choosing me,

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!

 

Fear Not ...

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee … Fear not for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isaiah 43:1

                Are you feeling lonely and left out? Do you feel that you have been forgotten by the people around you? One thing you need to know is that those feelings are wrong. We are never alone and we are never forgotten. In the above verse, God is reminding us not to be afraid. In whatever situation, do not fear. You may be in a difficult relationship, financial problem, a lawsuit, people may have hurt you and done you wrong or you may have lost a loved one.  Do not be afraid because He has redeemed us. He is with us all the time. We are his chosen people. We belong to Him. I am glad to be His because I know He will take care of everything that concerns me.

We are special to Him. Each one of us is special to Jesus. He died for our sins so that we would be saved and have a place in heaven. He also said that He has called us by our name and we are His. Isn’t this a great thing? The Almighty God who created Heaven and Earth (everything in it) and us, human beings, out of the ashes knows us by our name. We are not a stranger to Him. When we know someone’s name, it means that person means something to us. If no, we would not be bothered to know his or her name. And here God says that he knows your name.

He knows everything about you. He was the one who formed you and shaped you. Given you the right colour, race, characteristic and family. He knew you even when you were in your mother’s womb. This means that He has created us for a reason and a great purpose in life.  

Jesus said that we belong to Him. We are His. This means that we are not on our own. He has all the rights in our life. However, God will not force you to do anything. He is a loving, caring, faithful and patient God. A God who is filled with long-suffering and gentleness. He will never force us to do something that we do not like. But if we give Him the permission to have the right in our life, we are opening ourselves to overflow blessings, favour, grace and mercy.

                So, from this verse, we can have the confidence in God and know that he is on our side. He knows you and me and we belong to Him. Therefore, surely He will take care of us in whatever situation, in whatever trouble we are in. I am glad to be called His and that He knows my name. This shows that I am somebody to Him. J

No One But Jesus

            Through the years, one thing I have learnt about life is it is not always easy. There are days when we are on top of the world and there are days when we hit rock bottom. However, in tough times and in time of need, there is one person who will stick by you no matter what you have done, no matter what your skin colour is or your race or your personality. This person is always by your side and He will never leave you nor forsake you in whatever situation.

Perhaps, right now you are facing some difficult challenges and you feel so lonely. You feel that no one cares and no one is on your side. You feel lost and everyone is against you. But remember that you are in His palm, He has graven your image in His palm and you are the apple of His eye. He continually thinks about you. Do not expect people to be on your side to encourage you, to lift you up and to help you out. Instead, expect Jesus to do a miracle in your life and to carry you out of your troubles.

Jesus is the lifter up of our head and He will uphold us. Believe in His words. There may be people in your live who have walked away from you when you need them the most, but Jesus will never walk away from you. His mercies are new every morning. He is forever faithful and true.  

            No matter how much you have messed up in life, no matter how many times you have hurt Him and sinned, no matter how many times you have gone on the wrong path and made wrong decisions, He still loves you. He is still waiting to forgive you and accept you into His arms. All He wants is for us to repent and confess our faults, and He will wash away every sin, hurt, pain, guilt and condemnation.

            Some of you might have been taught that Jesus is angry with you because of your mistakes and He is against you. No, He is not angry at you, He doesn’t condemn you. He accepts you just the way you are and He is eager for you to run into His arm. Through life experience, I know He is good. I have seen Him lifting me up in hard times especially when there is no one around. He will do the same for you.

He will always give you another chance. He is a God of another chance. Remember, He doesn’t condemn you and He is not against you instead He is for you! His mercy is new every morning. Every morning is a new beginning and another new day of opportunity. Start the day expecting to receive from Him. J

Vengeance Belongs to God

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves … : for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will

              repay saith the Lord.”

                                 Romans 12:19

In the world that we live today, often we will come across people who would hurt us so bad that we think it is impossible to forgive them. We might even meet people who despitefully make use of us for their own advantage and people who are filled with bitterness, hatred, anger, jealousy and despise us for no reason. If at this moment you can think of someone, do not worry. This is something we cannot avoid.

There are times when we may have not done anything to them, yet they hurt us badly. Usually, we think it is right to give them a piece of our mind, throw some hurtful words back to them or do the same thing or even worst things to them so that they would know what it feels like. If these thoughts have crossed your mind, I would advise you to delete it!

This is because one thing I have learnt over the years is that God doesn’t want us to avenge ourselves. He has clearly said it in the verse above. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves…” Do not take revenge against anyone no matter what they have done to you. The above verse is a great and powerful verse which we have to hold on. God tells us that He will keep the account of what our enemies do to us and He will repay. We must believe in His words and forgive our enemies. As what T.D. Jakes says, “Let it go!”.

Never have anger, hatred, bitterness or grievance towards anyone in our hearts. Remember that God dwells in our hearts so it is important that it is clean our hearts of any kind of ‘rubbish’. Let it all go. No doubt it is easier said than done, but once you have tried and see the result, it wouldn’t be a struggle in future. Just trust in His words and it will come to pass.

Remember that, when God avenges, it is a dangerous thing. So next time when someone do you wrong, forgive, let it go and move forward. He keeps the account. Why do we worry what people say about us, or do to us? God has said that He will prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies.

He will settle the account one day! Just trust in Him and continue to do good to everyone. He is a fair God.

7 Things the Lord Hates

Proverbs 6 : 16 – 19

                These verses are about the seven things that the Lord HATES. It is crucial that we understand these verses and act on it. It is important that we please Him and not go against His words. Now that we know the things that displeases the Lord, avoid it.

The seven things that the Lord hates are as below:-

1.       A proud look – The Bible clearly states that the Lord resisteth the proud. He hates people with a proud look and people who think they are greater than anyone else or those who think they can do all things by themselves. However, the Lord loves people who are humble and meek; people who totally trust and hope in Him. People who surrender everything to Him. People who hope in Him. You may not be perfect, you may have messed up, you even may have sin so much till no one could forgive you but God loves you as long as you are humble and meek. He accepts you just the way you are. But come with a humble heart. Who you were in the past or what you have done in the past doesn’t matter to Him, as long as you trust in Him and come with a humble heart. 

2.       A lying tongue – God hates liars. Why? Because the Bible states that the devil is the father of all lies. Thus when you lie, you belong to the devil and you are not of God. Jesus is light and the truth is in Him. So we must be just like our Father. We must watch our mouth and we must have the fear of the Lord in us. Never lie. God hates a lying tongue. Like the saying goes, “Honesty is the best policy.” In whatever situation, just be honest and God will take care of everything. Be honest especially to Him. If you have messed up, confess and be honest to Him. He is waiting to forgive you. Remember, He is love. 

3.       Hands that shed innocent blood – God hates murderer. People who take innocent lives.  

4.       A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations – This refers to any evil thoughts in our mind or heart. For example, God doesn’t like it if we have hatred, plans to take revenge, wish evil to happen to others, have bitterness or jealousy. We must put all this away from us. We must come to His presence with a clean heart. God has said to do good to all, and this includes your enemies! Do it, and you will see the blessings in your life.  

5.       Feet that be swift in running to mischief – People who don’t think twice when they commit a sin. They are quick to sin. Be careful. It is important that we control our emotions, mouth, thinking and our steps.  

6.       A false witness that speaketh lies – Jesus does not like liars and also false witness.  

7.       He that soweth discord among brethren – Meaning people who create problems between two people. One way we can sow discord is through gossiping or saying things we should not. Try to live peacefully with others and learn to ignore a lot more. If it is not our business, let it go.

Do Not Worry :)

Matthew 6:25-34

             God has commanded us not to worry – not to worry about what to eat, drink or wear. God asks us, “Isn’t life more than meat (food) and raiment (clothes)? Why God commands us not to worry is because He loves us so much that He doesn’t want His children to worry nor lack anything in life. Consider this: Do you want your children to suffer, to worry about life and have lack in their lives? I am sure no. Look at Matt. 7:9 – 11 – Here God says that even human beings who are evil know how to give good things to their children, what more God.

            Coming back to Matt. 6, in verses 26, 28 and 30, God gives us an illustration that birds which do not sow, reap nor gather food in barns still have food because God provides; lilies of the field that grow when they do not need to toil (work hard) nor spin; and how the grass of the field is clothed by God. He said aren’t we much better then them? Looking at all these, don’t you think that God will surely take care of your food, drink and clothings?

            God questions us, if we do worry about these things, can we gain anything (verse 27 – Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature(achievements))? Think about it. It is true that no matter how much we worry and think about things, we cannot gain anything. Therefore, there is no point in worrying.  

            BUT in order for us to receive everything that we need there is something that we need to do. Matt. 6:33 says that we need TO SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM (heaven/seek God) AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (a right relationship with God). What does this mean?

            It mean we have to give first priority and importance to God, which includes going to church every Sunday, praying without ceasing, reading the Bible, rejoicing in the Lord always, singing psalms, making music in your heart, keeping his commandments, etc. In other words, we just need to SEEK HIM and TRUST HIM and everything (not just food, drink and clothes but everything that we need) will be added into our lives.

            Col. 3:2 says that we need to set our affections (love and likes on things above (heaven and God). Similar to seek His Kingdom and righteousness. When you do this, there is nothing for you to worry about. He will take care of everything which concerns you. He is good and He is indeed good all the time. Remember, He is in total control of everything. Thus, choose not to worry. God Bless U.